Taxonomy: Kingdom - Plantae (plants). Subkingdom - Tracheobionta (vascular plants). Superdivision - Spermatophyta (seed plants). Division - Magnoliophyta (flowering plants). Class - Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons). Subclass - Rosidae. Order - Cornales. Family - Cornaceae (dogwood family). Genus - Cornus L. (dogwood) Species -Cornus canadensis L.
Throughout North America, bunchberry dogwood occurs in coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests in elevations between 0-1,500 m. Bunchberry dogwood is more commonly associated with conifers than hardwoods, and it is particularly widespread in the understory of spruce and fir forests. Bunchberry dogwood is rarely restricted to particular moisture conditions or soil types, so it is less commonly an indicator species but, generally, it's found in the understory of cool, temperate and boreal forest types. Bunchberry dogwood is usually recognized as an understory dominant in habitat and community classifications throughout its range (FEIS).
Cornus canadensis provides low to moderate food and cover for small mammals and birds. It has a state protection status of 'Threatened' in Iowa and Ohio and 'Endangered' in Illinois, Indiana, and Maryland (USDA).
In western North America, Cornus canadensis is the principal understory species in the following forest types: white spruce (Picea glauca), paper birch (Betula papyrifera), and white spruce- paper birch types in Alaska and western Canada; pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis)- western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)) in the Pacific Northwest; western redcedar (Thuja plicata)- western hemlock in Montana and Idaho and east of the Cascade Range in Oregon, Washington, and southern British Columbia; and in aspen (Populus tremuloides) types across western North America. Cornus canadensis is associated with understory species such as Oregon boxwood (Paxistima myrsinities), Alaska blueberry (Vaccinium alaskensis, and other Vaccinium spp.), twinflower (Linnaea borealis), and sword fern (Polystichum munitum) (FEIS).